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Este artículo gramatical (para nivel
avanzado) te
ayudará a comprender las construcciones invertidas en inglés.
Aquí te explicamos cómo hacerlo...
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"Construcción invertida" es la inversión
del orden normal que lleva una frase u oración y su uso es normalmente
retórico o enfático. Estos son los dos tipos de inversión en inglés (dos
de los ejemplos del segundo tipo de inversión te resultarán conocidos):
1. SUBJECT-VERB INVERSION. El sujeto y el verbo principal cambian
de posición en la oración y el orden de las palabras se convierte en
VERB + SUBJECT:
On the top of the hill stood an old oak tree.
(En la cima de la colina se erguía un viejo roble).
2. SUBJECT-AUXILIARY INVERSION. El sujeto y el auxiliar cambian
de posición y el orden de las palabras se convierte en AUXILIARY +
SUBJECT (+ VERB):
When does the bus leave?
(¿Cuándo parte el autobús?)
You’re hungry, aren’t you?
(Tienes apetito, ¿verdad?)
Hardly had I arrived home when my phone rang.
(Apenas habíamos llegado a casa que el teléfono sonó). |
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NEVER (BEFORE), RARELY, LITTLE, UNDER NO
CIRCUMSTANCES,
ON NO CONDITION, IN NO WAY, NOT ONLY ... BUT, NOT ONLY ... BUT ALSO.
Cuando las palabras arriba indicadas se colocan al comienzo de una
oración para lograr un efecto retórico o enfático, el sujeto y el
auxiliar invierten sus posiciones. Observa estos ejemplos:
Never (before) have we faced such a challenge.
NORMAL WORD ORDER: We have never faced such a challenge.
Rarely has there been so much speculation about the future of the
company.
NORMAL WORD ORDER: There has rarely been so much speculation about the
future of the company.
Little did she understand what the conversation was about.
NORMAL WORD ORDER: She didn't really understand what the conversation
was about.
Under no circumstances are you allowed to disturb the pilots.
NORMAL WORD ORDER: You are not allowed to disturb the pilots under any
circumstances.
On no condition will the company bear responsibility for lost property.
NORMAL WORD ORDER: The company will not bear responsibility for lost
property on any condition.
In no way am I related to the suspect.
NORMAL WORD ORDER: I am in no way related to the suspect.
Not only were you late, but you didn’t even have a good excuse.
NORMAL WORD ORDER: You were not only late, but you didn’t have a
good excuse either.
Not only did he exceed the speed limit, but he had also consumed
alcohol.
NORMAL WORD ORDER: He not only exceeded the speed limit but he had
also consumed alcohol. |
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ONLY AFTER, ONLY BY, ONLY IF, ONLY IN THIS WAY,
ONLY THEN, ONLY WHEN, NOT UNTIL.
Cuando las palabras arriba indicadas se colocan al comienzo de una
oración para lograr un efecto retórico o enfático, el sujeto y el
auxiliar invierten sus posiciones. Observa estos ejemplos:
Only after lunch can you play.
NORMAL WORD ORDER: You can play only after lunch.
Only after finishing your homework can you play.
NORMAL WORD ORDER: You can play only after finishing your homework.
Only after you have finished your homework can you play.
NORMAL WORD ORDER: You can play only after you have finished your
homework.
Only by guessing can you solve this puzzle.
NORMAL WORD ORDER: You can solve this puzzle only by guessing.
Only if everybody agreed would I accept this position.
NORMAL WORD ORDER: I would accept this position only if everybody agreed.
Only in this way does this machine work.
NORMAL WORD ORDER: This machine works only in this way.
Only then did they discover his secret.
NORMAL WORD ORDER: They discovered his secret only then.
Only when he needed some help did he call me.
NORMAL WORD ORDER: He called me only when he needed help.
Only when I filled my glass did I notice that it was broken.
NORMAL WORD ORDER: I noticed that my glass was broken only when I
filled it.
Esta última oración puede reformularse de esta otra forma:
Not until I filled my glass did I notice that it was broken.
NORMAL WORD ORDER: I didn’t notice that my glass was broken until I
filled it.
Si a la palabra ONLY le sigue el sujeto al comienzo de una
oración, no hay inversión posible. Observa:
Only you can understand.
NORMAL WORD ORDER: No one else can understand. |
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HARDLY, SCARCELY, BARELY, NO SOONER.
Cuando estás contando o relatando una historia en tiempo pasado, suelen
utilizarse los adverbios arriba indicados para enfatizar que un primer
hecho le sucedió rápidamente a un segundo hecho. En ese caso, el
verbo que describe el primer hecho va generalmente en tiempo pasado
perfecto. Y si los adverbios arriba indicados están al comienzo de
la oración, el sujeto y el auxiliar deben invertirse. Observa
estos ejemplos:
Hardly had I arrived home when my phone rang.
NORMAL WORD ORDER: I had hardly arrived home when my phone rang.
Scarcely had she finished reading when she fell asleep.
NORMAL WORD ORDER: She had scarcely finished reading when she fell
asleep.
Barely had they won the match when the coach had a heart attack.
NORMAL WORD ORDER: They had barely won the match when the coach had a
heart attack.
No sooner had the company launched a new product than it went bankrupt.
NORMAL WORD ORDER: The company had no sooner launched a new product
than it went bankrupt.
TIPS ACERCA DE ESTE ULTIMO EJEMPLO:
Si comenzamos una oración con NO SOONER, el verbo HAD va
seguido del participio pasado del verbo (tiempo pasado perfecto),
mientras que DID va seguido del infinitivo (tiempo pasado
simple). En esta construcción podemos usar tanto el pasado perfecto como
el pasado simple, no existiendo diferencias de significado. Observa:
No sooner had the company
launched its new product
than it went bankrupt.
No sooner did the company
launch its new product
than it went bankrupt.
DOS ULTIMOS TIPS:
a. A los adverbios HARDLY, SCARCELY y BARELY le
sigue la palabra WHEN.
b. Al adverbio NO SOONER le sigue THAN (porque SOONER
es el comparativo de SOON). |
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